Courtney: Kurt was desperate for stardom

Nirvana frontman's widow denies he shunned the spotlight

Courtney Love says Kurt Cobain was “desperate” to be a rock star, disputing the widely-held belief that he never chased fame.

In a new documentary called The 90s: The Last Great Decade?, Love says the Nirvana frontman hounded record labels and that he badly wanted to be a star.

Cobain's widow was interviewed for the National Geographic documentary. She says: “He wanted it bad. He wrote to every major, minor, any label. 'We'll pay, let us be on your label.'

“He was desperate to be the biggest rock star in the world. But he made it look like it was thrust upon him. He got called 'the voice of a generation' a lot, and that freaked him out. He probably got off on it. I would.”

The series also features archive footage of Kurt and interviews with Nevermind producer Butch Vig. It airs in the US on July 6, although there is no information on whether it will be broadcast in Europe.